Benjamin le coultre



(No Model.) B. LE GOULTRE.

REPEATING MECHANISM FOR WATCHES.

No. 588,281. Patented Aug. 17, 1897.

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()rmcn'.

BENJAMIN LE COULTRE, OF SENTIER, SIVITZERLAND.

REPEATING MECHANISM FOR WATCHES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 588,281, dated August 17', 1897.

Application filed May 28,1895. $erial No. 550,911. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Beit known that I, BENJAMIN Ln OoULrRn, a citizen of the Swiss Republic, residing at Sentier, Canton of Vaud, Switzerland, have invented new and useful Improvements in Repeating Clocks and Watches, of which the following is a clear and complete specification.

This invention has for its object improvemen ts in repeating mechanism for carriage or portable clocks and watches in which the repeating mechanism is caused to operate by pushing in the pendant or stem. The mechanism comprises a large pivoted rack gearing at one part with a pinion of the arbor or axis of the repetition mechanism and bearing at another part against a projection, such as a pin, on a sliding piece adapted to be operated by pushing a suitable projecting member, such as a special knob in the case of a portable clock or the movable stem in the case of a watch. The rack is advantageously provided with a circular notch in which is located the projection of the sliding piece for the purpose of diminishing the friction between these parts. Further, the sliding piece is advantageously formed of a T shape, the vertical arm of which receives the pressure from the part which. projects from the clock or watch.

In cases where the mechanism is applied to a keyles's watch set by the pendant the outer end of the winding-rod has a square which enters a winding arbor or stem screwed to the knob and located in the stem not integral with the case, the said winding arbor or stem being provided at its inner end with a flange adapted on the one hand to hold it to the watch and to maintain the pendant between it and the knob and on the other hand to act on the hereinbefore-described sliding piece, so that by pushing the knob and the pendant toward the interior of the watch the spring connected to the arbor or axis of the repetition can be Wound up. The arbor or axis of the repetition is also provided with a pinion engaging with a rack, which by means of the hour-snail determines the number of strokes to be given by the hour-hammer.

'In order to enable the invention to be fully understood, I will describe the same by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which Figure l is a part sectional elevation showing the improved repeating mechanism applied to a keyless watch. Fig. 2 is an elevation of the winding-knob. Figs. 3 and 4 are respectively a plan and an elevation of the winding arbor or stem, and Figs. 5 and 6 are respectively a front and a side elevation of the sliding piece adapted to be operated by the said winding arbor or stem.

A is the knob, formed with an internal screw-thread a, into which is screwed the solid screw-threaded end Z) of a winding arbor or stem 13, located in the pendant O of the watch. The pendant O engages in a winding arbor or stem 0, soldered to the Watchcase, and is connected to the ring D. It is held in position by the knob A and by the flange (1 of the winding arbor or stem B, which bears against the inner surface of the watchcase and holds the said winding arbor or stem in position. The recess 6 in the winding arbor or stem 13 is square in cross-section and receives the end of the winding-rod E, so that by turning the knob A, which carries with it the winding arbor or stem B, the watch can be wound up or the hands set. The knob F and the lever-spring I may be utilized for setting the hands by hinging the sliding pinion finto engagement with the pinion g for set ting the hands.

L is a rack pivoted in the case at 0, the teeth of which gear with a pinion M, fixed on the arbor or axis 1) of the repetition mechanism. This rack L is provided with a notch 41, in which is located the pin a of a T-shaped piece H, (shown in Figs. 5 and 6,) the vertical arm (1 of which bears against the flange d of the winding arbor or stem B. The other two arms of the piece H are thicker than the vertical arm d and are located in a slot 6 in the movement.

Upon the axis 11 is fixed a second pinion S, gearing with a rack V, which carries an arm 2', adapted to come into contact with the hoursnail N to determine the number of hours to be struck, when in consequence of the movement of the rack L in the direction of the ar- 7 row or the rack V is caused to move in the direction of the arrow 3 pivoting at Z.

O is the star-wheel of the hour-snail coinbin ed with a spring-jumper T, operated by a projection on the quarter-snail in the usual manner.

K is the hour-piece, fixed to the arbor or axis 19 and comprising a ratchet-toothed sector which upon its rotation in the direction of the arrow causes the click 0 of the hammer to strike the hours. B is the quarterpiece, pivoted at 3, held by a spring at and having an arm '15 for determining, by means of the quarter-snail, the number of strokes to be given. This piece R is adapted to be carried along by a finger *r of the arbor or axis 13 at the moment it should sound the quarters, and it is provided, as in the ordinary manner, with ratchet-teeth "a it, adapted to operate the clicks o o of the quarter-hammers.

The pawls 0 o o are combined with keys, springs, and other usual accessories in order that they may only be actuated by the parts K and B when these parts are operated by the spring, previously wound up for the repeating operation, connected to the axis p. Awasher placed upon this axis and not shown in the drawings covers the pinion M.

The operation of the hereinbefore-described repeating mechanism is as follows: ll the knob A, the pendant O, and the winding arbor or stem 13 are pushed inward, as indicated by the arrow in Fig. 1, the flange (Z of the plug B pushes the sliding piece H toward the interior of the watch, and this piece H, having its pin a bearing in the notch 71 of the rack L, will carry forward this latter and cause it to turn on its pivot at o in the direction of the arrow :11, thereby turning the pinions M and S, as well as the axis p,in the direction of the arrow '0. Consequently to wind up the spring connected to the axis 19 turn the sector V in the direction of the arrow 3 and cause its arm 2' to determine upon the snail N the hours to be struck, the movement of the arbor or axis 19 having also for its objeet to move the hour-piece K and allow the spring at, in consequence of the linger 1* partaking of this movement of p, to cause the quarter-piece to turn around the pivot s in the direction indicated by the arrow 3' in order to cause its arm if to determine upon the quartersnail the quarters to be struck. As soon as pressure is removed from the knob A and the pendant C the spring connected to the axis 19 will cause the latter to turn, together with the pinions M and S, in the opposite direction to the arrow o, the effect of which is to also turn the rack V and the rack L, respectively, in opposite directions to those indicated by the arrows a: and y, this movement of the sector L having also for its object to bring back the piece ll and the parts B C A to their initial positions by moving them in a direction opposite to that of the arrow In this movement of the arbor or axis p in the opposite direction to the arrow the teeth K pass in front of the click 0 in the direction to cause the hours to be sounded by the hammer. Combined with this click and as soon as the hours shall have been struck the finger T will carry along the quarter-piece R in the opposite direction to the arrow 3, so that its teeth will actuate the pawls 0 0 combined with the two hammers for striking the quarters. From this arrangement it will be seen that it is the spring connected to the arbor or axis 27 which also brings back the piece H and the pendant to their initial positions, but it is evident that, if necessary, a special spring could be employed for this purpose, acting upon the piece D or on the pendant.

In some cases the rack V may be dispensed with and the mechanism arranged in such a manner that the sector L may determine on the hour-snail the number of hours to be struck.

It will be understood that when the mechanism is to be applied to a carriage or portable clock a special knob is employed for operating the sector L. The external shape of the pendant O can be round, oval, the. \Vhen the shape is round, the pendant can receive a movement of rotation.

As spring-lid watches provided with the mechanism herein before described cannot be opened by the pendant, a special pusher Q, is provided which allows of pressure being applied to the secret spring.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of the said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is 1. In repeating mechanism for watches and the like, a rotative and axially-movable part of the winding-stem, and a repeating mechanism, in combination with means throwing the repeating mechanism into operation and actuated by the axial movement of the said part of the winding-stem, the said means comprising a member having a curved face t", and a sliding piece in the path of axial movement of the said part of the winding-stem and having a projection 02 engaging the said face 1; and thereby transmitting the movement of the said part of the winding-stem to the said member.

2. In repeating watches and the like, a movement, and a repeating mechanism, in combination with a relative and axially-mow able part of the winding-stem, a sliding piece H within said movement, and a member L having gear-teeth actuating said repeating mechanism in one direction and actuated thereby in reverse direction, the said member L being engaged and moved by said piece II tion and driven thereby in the reverse direction, a sliding piece H engaging with the said lever L,-a11d a Winding-stem having a rotative and axiailynnovable part B moving said piece H and said lever L when moved inwardly.

In Witness WhereofI have hereunto signed my name in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

BENJAMIN LE COULTRE. \Vitnesses:

ERNEST SCHNEIDER, ARTHUR SILLIG. 

